Thyme: benefits and harms to the body

Thyme, or thyme, is a well-known herb in Our Country. It is added to teas, including medicinal ones. Even the ancient Greeks used it as incense in temples. Fumigation with “Bogorodskaya grass” – another name for thyme – was also practiced for ritual purposes by the Khakass, a people living in southern Siberia. In Our Country, they decorated icons and fumigated the house “for good luck.”

” Healthy Food Near Me” understands in detail what exactly is the use of thyme for the body and whether it can harm something.

The history of the appearance of thyme in nutrition

The ancient Egyptians added thyme to aromatic mixtures to embalm the dead. In ancient Greece, it was believed that thyme oil gave courage, the soldiers applied it to the body before the battle. The ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides in the treatise “On Medicinal Plants” mentioned thyme, wrote about him and his compatriot, scientist Pliny the Elder. Most likely, thyme was originally a medicinal and ritual herb, and only later became a popular addition to tea.

The composition and calorie content of thyme

The calorie content of thyme is extremely low. It also contains valuable vitamins and minerals. First of all, it is vitamin C, ascorbic acid. Thyme also contains many mineral components: magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, zinc. The thymol contained in the herb is also useful – it is a natural antiseptic, analgesic and antihelminthic.

The benefits of thyme

Thyme is useful for colds and diseases of the upper respiratory tract. It has anti-inflammatory, expectorant, antibacterial, antioxidant properties. In addition, it can be used as a sedative, analgesic, choleretic, wound healing, antispasmodic.

The benefits of thyme for women

It is believed that thyme is extremely useful for gynecological problems. Infusions and decoctions with it are recommended to be used for inflammation of the appendages, painful periods, mood swings, hormonal disruptions and bleeding.

The benefits of thyme for men

In folk medicine, thyme is used to treat prostatitis and other inflammations of the genitourinary system, to improve potency.

The benefits of thyme for children

– Children under three years of age should not be given thyme. At the age of 3-3,5 years, you can bathe a child in a bath with thyme, advises doctor Olga Sharapova. – The procedure will help you fall asleep faster and calm the nervous system. But for those who are older, thyme can be used during colds and flu. Tea with thyme strengthens the immune system in winter.

Thyme harm

People with high blood pressure are advised to refrain from excessive consumption of thyme – it can aggravate the problem. Also a contraindication is acute or chronic renal failure and thyroid damage.

Pregnant women should exclude thyme from the diet: some substances in its composition can lead to miscarriage or premature birth. As we have already said, it is also not recommended for children under three years old.

And, of course, allergy sufferers should use it with caution.

The use of thyme in medicine

Thyme is actively used in folk medicine. It is used as a diaphoretic, diuretic, anticonvulsant, sedative and antihypertensive agent. With rheumatism, pain in the joints and muscles, baths, compresses, ointments and lotions are made with it.

The effectiveness of thyme in the treatment of respiratory diseases has been proven. (one) 

It has a bactericidal and fungicidal effect, which is associated with the multicomponent composition of the essential oil. It includes thymol, carvacrol, borneol, pinene, ursolic acid and other substances. 

Doctors also note expectorant, mucolytic and bronchodilator effects, a decrease in edema and inflammation of the mucosa and activation of the immune system. 

Infusions and decoctions of thyme are useful for acute and chronic respiratory diseases, bronchial asthma and tuberculosis. An extract from the leaves of thyme is part of some drugs that are used in the treatment of acute respiratory infections, tracheitis, bronchitis, whooping cough as an expectorant.

– Thyme is also good for the digestive system, it helps to eliminate constipation and cramps in the stomach, – says doctor Olga Sharapova. 

On the basis of thyme oil, it is possible to develop preparations for the treatment of vaginal diseases in women with antimicrobial, antiseptic and antifungal effects. (one)

Thyme is used as a diuretic in kidney diseases. It can also be used in the treatment of burns. (2)

The use of thyme in cooking

Thyme goes well with vegetables, especially potatoes and cabbage, fish and meat dishes. It is added to salads, sauces, marinades. By the way, if you add thyme to a fatty dish, it will not only improve the taste, but also facilitate digestion. And, of course, thyme tea is the best drink for the cold season.

Trout with thyme

Thyme goes well with fish

1. Cut the trout into portions.
2. Also cut the pepper into thin strips and the lime into thin circles.
3. Break the thyme into small branches. Can be replaced with dried.
4. Place a couple of lime slices on the foil, 1 – 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 – 3 pieces of pepper, trout on top, salt, pepper and also put lime, pepper and thyme on top. 
5. Wrap the envelopes tightly with the fish so that the juice does not leak out.
6. Cook in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Eggplant puree soup with thyme

Easy to prepare soup – not only tasty, but also healthy

1. Peel the eggplant and cut into semicircular slices about 1 cm thick. Cut the onion into half rings, chop the garlic.
2. Heat olive oil over low heat in a frying pan (can be replaced with sunflower oil). Add eggplant, thyme and balsamic vinegar. Fry the eggplant, stirring occasionally.
3. In a separate saucepan, heat more oil and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. 
4. Add eggplant to the pan, pour in water, bring to a boil and cook for another 20 minutes under the lid.
5. Remove from heat, puree the soup in a blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

How to choose and store thyme

If you decide to harvest thyme yourself, choose a suitable location away from roads, industrial plants, and garbage dumps. For use as a seasoning, it should be collected in early May, and for medicinal purposes in the summer when the buds appear.

If you buy thyme, make sure that the leaves are green and the branches themselves are free of rot.

Fresh thyme will keep for up to seven days. Suitable for storage bags or containers.

It is best to store thyme in dried form. Spread paper on a baking sheet, spread grass on it, you can cover it with gauze on top so that dirt does not get in. 

Do not dry thyme in direct sunlight, otherwise you may lose its beneficial properties. Turn the herb periodically while drying. 

Dried thyme will keep for up to two years.

Popular questions and answers

Questions about the benefits and harms of thyme are answered by our expert, doctor Olga Sharapova.

Sources of

1. Fukleva L.A., Puchkan L.A. The study of the composition and the possibility of using thyme ordinary and Crimean in pharmaceutical practice / Scientific sheets. Series Medicine. Pharmacy, 2013, No. 18, Issue 23 viewer
2. Volodina T.A., Zhidkova Yu.Yu., Mayorova A.V., Stepanova E.F. Pharmacotechnological studies of ointments with verapamil and ointments containing a phytocomposition with thyme, intended for use as dermatoprotectors / Scientific sheets. Series Medicine. Pharmacy, 2011, No. 16, URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/farmakotehnologicheskie-issledovaniya-mazey-s-verapamilom-i-mazey-soderzhaschih-fitokompozitsiyu-s-chabretsom-predlagaemyhk/viewer